Urdu university without permanent VC

The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology has been operating without a permanent vice chancellor for a year and a half and is therefore facing administrative issues.

The varsity`s Islamabad campus has in fact been facing administrative issues for many years now, particularly because of the controversy surrounding its acting VC, Dr Sulaiman D.

Mohammad after the Higher Education Commission (HEC) found his doctorate thesis to be plagiarised last year.

The syndicate of the University of Karachi, which had issued him his PhD, withdrew the degree last month but has not yet issued a notification.

The previous VC, Dr Zafar Altaf is facing a National Accountability Bureau reference on charges of corruption.

`The HEC has wrongfully declared my thesis plagiarised, Dr Mohammad said, adding that he has gone to court against the HEC`s decision and that of the Karachi University.

The university is meanwhile facing a lot of administrative issues with protests by students and employees becoming more common on the Islamabad campus, which caters to 4,000 students.

The latest incident took place Wednesday night when the VC says he was locked in by university employees who were seeking promotion and the regularisation of their services.

`What is going on here? We are very upset. Protests, unrest and disturbances have become routine here. Why is the federal government not appointing a full-time, non-controversial VC for this university, which caters to thousands of students from the lower and middle class,` said a student, Usman Ahmed.

The issue of the appointment of a VC for the university was also recently raised by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Education and recommended the appointment be made as soon as possible.

State Minister for Education Balighur Rehman and Joint Education Advisor Rafiq Tahir had assured the appointment will be made soon and this was also promised by HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed.

`The university is facing a lot of issues, which will improve after the appointment of a regular head,` he said.